Fatalities Drop – USA

6th January 2015

USA: The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) reports on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announcement that motorcycle fatalities in the USA have dropped for the second year in a row.

According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, or FARS data, collected by the federal government, motorcycle fatalities for 2013 dropped from 4,986 to 4,668 a difference of 318.

The motorcycle fatality drop was the largest percentage of all vehicle groups at 6.4 percent.

This is the second year on year drop in motorcycle fatalities since 2009.

The MRF say that, “This is an encouraging trend, but it is likely just that. It is a promising direction, since more motorcycles continue to be registered year after year.

Another aspect motorcyclists can be proud of is the decrease in the number of alcohol related deaths. Fatal crashes where alcohol was a factor dropped by 117 deaths, or 8.3 percent, also the largest decrease in the category.

Also reported was the drop in the number of injured motorcyclists from 93,000 to 88,000, a 5.4 percent decrease.

Eighty-eight thousand still seems like an awfully large number but consider that the number of passenger vehicle injuries is 2,046,000 for 2013.

The decrease in injured motorcyclists is again the largest in the category.”

However the MRF also say that, “One unfortunate aspect of the report is that motorcyclist fatalities now take up 14 percent of the total fatalities.

This is likely a direct result of more motorcycle licenses being issued and more motorcycle registrations being reported.

Highway motorcycles saw a two percent increase in sales in 2013, and manufacturers are reporting record setting sales for 2013, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.

As with any increase in a vehicle population, it is predictable that fatalities would also rise. (We would disagree with this analysis – our research demonstrates that when there is a susbstantial increase in motorcycle usage, proportionately, fatalities decrease)

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation believes that through strong rider education programs and prolific motorcycle awareness campaigns this drop in motorcycle fatalities can continue.” (However what needs pointing here is that the rider education programs are mainly run by manufacturers and private sector and the government has no real influence into the quality of rider education and training).

The USA is a “big country” and the scale of fatalities and motorcycle injuries is hard to grasp, although if we took the time to look at Northern Ireland/GB/European statistics these might be comparable if scaled up, if there was the time and inclination to do so!

Although European thoughts on more motorcycles on the road means more awareness because of more motorcycles and more awarness should lead to less collisions and injuries, it will be interesting to see if the USA follows this theory and not as the MRF have said, ” As with any increase in a vehicle population, it is predictable that fatalities would also rise.”

Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF)

“The Motorcycle Riders Foundation is chiefly concerned with issues at the national and international levels that impact the freedom and safety of American street motorcyclists.

We are also committed to educating rights advocates to improve effectiveness at the state and local levels.

The MRF works together with State Motorcyclists’ Rights Organizations (SMROs), assisting them with state and local agendas as well as working with them to influence Washington, DC – from the Congress to government departments and agencies to the Office of the President of the United States.

We also work with allies in Europe and Asia to influence talks on vehicle globalization and harmonization that are proceeding under the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO).

We have an historic partnership with the American Motorcyclist Association and work with the AMA on a host of issues.”

Comments Will No Longer Be Posted

American Motorcycle Association on the fatality reduction in the USA – “That is why the AMA is participating in the Motorcycle Crash Causation Study underway at Oklahoma State University. We hope that the information from this extensive examination of motorcycle crashes will lead to better strategies for making our roads safer for motorcyclists.”

The Motorcycle Crash Causation Study is the first comprehensive examination since the 1981 Hurt Report on the factors contributing to motorcycle crashes in the United States.

When the project is completed in 2016, it will provide a large and unique data set derived from actual motorcycle crashes and riders with similar risk characteristics, with a focus on the unique circumstances that produce motorcycle crashes.

The Motorcycle Crash Causation Study will provide up-to-date information on the types of dangers modern motorcyclists face. The study is important, because it will provide new insights into which factors affect motorcyclist safety and how.

AMA members contributed money to help pay for the study, and the AMA encouraged states to redirect unused federal funds to the effort.

Supporting the study are the Federal Highway Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the states of Iowa, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.”

Will any study ever “beat ” the Hurt Report in the sense of finding anything new that we do not already know……………………….

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